1. Technical Field
The invention relates to an editing apparatus and an editing method for editing and reproducing audiovisual information by using a storage medium such as a magnetic disk (hard disk) or a magneto-optic disk having a fast retrieve speed.
2. Background Art
Previously, audiovisual information including moving picture information is edited by connecting a video cassette recorder (VCR) used for reproduction and another VCR used for recording to an editing apparatus. Audiovisual information is reproduced from the VCR used for reproduction and edited by the editing apparatus, and the edited audiovisual information is recorded in the VCR used for recording.
Recently, compression technology of audiovisual information is improved, and it becomes possible to record and reproduce audiovisual information in a storage apparatus such as a hard disk drive (HDD) having fast retrieve speed. Then, an editing apparatus using an HDD or the like is developed, and it is called as a nonlinear editing apparatus.
When a plurality of pairs of a start end and a final end (editing points) of effective information (called as event) are set in the stored audiovisual information, after reproducing a final end of an event, it is possible to reproduce a start end of a next event successively, because retrieve can be performed at a high speed in an HDD, and preview of editing result is possible immediately. In other words, in a nonlinear editing apparatus, editing completes only by inputting editing points, and it is not needed to record the result in the VCR for recording.
However, a nonlinear editing apparatus has problems explained below. When reproduction of a specified position in audiovisual information (hereinafter referred to as retrieve) is performed in editing, retrieve time for displaying the desired audiovisual information is short. Then, the picture at the current position is shifted instantaneously to the resultant picture of retrieve. Therefore, because the change is performed instantaneously, it is difficult for a user to recognize the completion of the retrieve. Further, because audiovisual information is not displayed during retrieve, information around the specified position cannot be recognized. Thus, pictures before and after the specified position are often confirmed after the completion of retrieve. On the other hand, when retrieve is performed on a prior art editing apparatus using VCRs, pictures of FF (fast feed)/REW (rewind) during retrieve are inserted. Thus, the completion of retrieve can be recognized, and information around the specified position for retrieve can also be recognized. If retrieve with a nonlinear editing apparatus can be performed similarly to that with the prior art editing apparatus using VCRs, editing can be performed more efficiently.
An object of the invention is to provide a user-friendly nonlinear editing apparatus.
An editing apparatus according to the invention is an editing apparatus for editing audiovisual information including at least moving picture information and audio information accompanied with the moving picture information. The input audiovisual information is stored in a first storage device (having a fast retrieve speed, preferably, a hard disk, a semiconductor memory device or an optical disk). Pictures read from the first storage device are displayed by a display device. Editing information on the audiovisual information stored in the first storage device including a position of effective information is set with an operation device. The editing information is stored in a second storage device. A display controller makes the display device display pictures based on the editing information stored in the second storage device. Further, the display controller makes the display device display pictures between first and second positions intermittently when a current picture at the first position is changed to a picture at the second position. That is, when the position of the current picture (the first position) is shifted to the retrieve destination position (the second position) the shift is not performed instantaneously, but pictures between the first and second positions are extracted and displayed to make it possible for a user to recognize the picture of the result of the retrieve. The modes of retrieve includes constant speed retrieve, constant time retrieve and accelerating and decelerating retrieve. Further, a selection means may be provided so that a user can select one of the retrieve modes.
In the constant speed retrieve, when the current picture at the first position is changed to the picture at the second position (destination position), the display controller makes the display device display pictures intermittently at an equal interval between a first position and a second position. Thus, the extraction interval of picture frames is constant between the current position and the destination position, and, the retrieve result (the second position) is displayed after a time in proportion to the distance.
In the constant time retrieve, when the current picture at the first position is changed to the picture at the second position, the display controller makes the display device display pictures of a predetermined number extracted intermittently at an equal interval between the first and second positions. Thus, a constant number of the pictures are extracted at equal interval between the current position and the destination position, and the retrieve result (the second position) is displayed after a constant time.
In the accelerating and decelerating retrieve, when the current picture at the first position is changed to the picture at the second position, until a middle point between the first and second positions, the display controller extracts pictures in pictures between the first and second positions at an interval in proportion to a distance between the first position and a display position (or at an interval for a maximum speed when the interval exceeds an interval for the maximum speed), and displays the pictures by shifting the display position at an increasing speed or at the maximum speed. On the other hand, after the middle point, it extracts pictures at an interval in proportion to a distance between the display position and the second position (or at an interval for a maximum speed when the interval exceeds the interval for the maximum speed), and displays the pictures by shifting the display position at the maximum speed or at a decreasing speed. Thus, the speed for display is accelerated from the current position and reaches to the maximum speed when the distance is large, and is decelerated. That is, pictures are displayed analogously to the shifting state when a VCR is used in a prior art apparatus.
Preferably, when the current picture at the first position is shifted to the picture at the second position, while pictures between the first and second positions are displayed, an additional visual information which means a state under retrieve is displayed at the same time. Thus, information representing a state under retrieve is added when picture information is displayed.
Preferably, a compressor compresses the input audiovisual information and sends it to the first storage device. On reproduction, an expander expands the compressed information stored in the first storage device for display.
Preferably, an audio reproduction device is provided, and audio information in correspondence to a picture to be displayed by the display device is extracted from the audiovisual information, and the audio information is reproduced in correspondence to the audiovisual information.